Think of Me
by SanoGirl
Summary: One-shot songfic: Inuyasha finds comfort in Kagome's love, even when she isn't with him.


Think of Me

The breeze stirred, bringing to his nose a faint smell of meadows and wildflowers. It whispered to him, singing a bittersweet song of what was now lost, that once was, but was no longer.

*Think of me*

His mind drifted and his golden eyes lost their focus and stared listlessly at nothing. One clawed hand absently lifted to his throat to toy with the prayer beads hanging there. But his agile fingers grabbed nothing but a fistful of red fabric. He started, remembering now that they were no longer there. They had disappeared, out of his grasp, just like her. Kagome...

*Think of me fondly*

His mouth twitched in what might have been a smile, had it been happier times for him. Kagome, his Kagome. He seemed to smell her all around him, the spring breeze he had smelled before once again filling his nose with its fragrant scent. Oh, it reminded him so much of her. Her gentle hands, determined attitude, and slender body; those huge brown eyes he seemed drawn into at the merest glance...He drifted off once more, thoughts and memories of Kagome filling his troubled mind.

*When we said goodbye*

His blissful reminiscing was jarred abruptly back to reality when the last memory he had of her flitted through his mind.

**FLASHBACK**

"No, Kagome! It's too dangerous!"

"I'm not going back! You need me to find the Shikon Shards!"

"You have to go back! You'll be killed!"

"SIT BOY!!!"

CRASH! "Ouch..."

She had stalked off, furious, and ignored him for over an hour. He walked ahead, and as usual pretended not to care. Inuyasha had seen the slight shakes of Miroku and Sango's heads as he had passed, but he ignored them, too. Lost in thought, in his own world, he had drifted through the rest of the day in a distant, unreachable fog. Then, as he had sat, brooding, by the campfire that night, Kagome had finally dared approach him. Her raven hair shone in the flickering light, and her long shadow danced and lept.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hmph," had come the sullen reply.

"Well, if you're going to be that way!"

"I am! Stupid girl..."

"SIT!!!"

Inuyasha, now face down in the dirt, sighed and slowly righted himself, brushing off the dust and grass as he did so. He didn't even bother to argue or yell at Kagome, so absorbed was he in his thoughts.

Kagome raised one thin eyebrow at him and said, "Now I know something's wrong."

Inuyasha's golden eyes swept over to meet her glowing brown ones. Thoughts and worries tumbled in a confused jumble in his mind. He cared for Kagome, that he knew, but would never admit...unless forced to. He wanted her to go back to her own time where she would be safe. He had tried everything. He had yelled, cajoled, pleaded, threatened, bribed, ordered, and even physically thrown her down the well. But she never listened, always came back, always continued to put herself at risk. And as he lost himself in her eyes, he knew there was only one other way. A last desperate attempt.

Kagome by now had begun looking at him oddly. When she waved her hand in front of his unfocused eyes he started.

"Inuyasha...?" came the inquiring whisper.

It was now or never He looked away from her concerned face and stuck his hands deep into his voluminous red sleeves. "Kagome, you have to go back." He briefly closed his eyes and held up one clawed hand to silence her inevitable protest. "Just hear me out."

She nodded.

"You have to go back," he repeated, "because I'm worried about you. I...I...I love you, Kagome and I don't want to see you killed. Please...Please go back!"

There, he had said it. He had bared his heart and soul to her. And with that, he jumped up and was lost within the shadows of the night.

The next day Kagome finally gave in to his request and decided to go home. For good. The only reason she went was because of the sincerity and depth of feeling she saw in his eyes. He took her to the well and tentatively put his strong arms around her. She hugged him back, wishing to stay like this always, to never let go. But after a few moments time they released each other.

"I love you too Inuyasha." And with those last words Kagome lowered herself slowly into the well. The last thing Inuyasha remembered seeing before he turned away and she was lost from sight, was a pair of sad brown eyes.

**END FLASHBACK**

*Remember me, once in a while. Please promise me you'll try*

Inuyasha whimpered slightly to himself, the sound catching in his throat. That day...the hardest one of his life.

*When you find, that once again you long to take your heart back and be free*

Kagome...his Kagome. A fierce possessive light flickered in the depths of his golden orbs. She would always be his, no matter what, He knew he would always love her, and she had told him the same. But, he would never see her again. His heart was the prisoner of a girl who was gone, out of his life...for good. The empty spot in his chest where it had been was the only thing that remained with him now; a constant ache that reminded him of what would never be.

*If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me*

She was always in his thoughts and dreams, always on his mind. Not a day went by when he didn't think of her. How could he when the very air he breathed was a constant reminder of her? The flowers, the sky, the others, everything held some part of her. Inuyasha had tried from the beginning to shut them out, but nothing had worked. Eventually he had given in and consequently was constantly awash in memories. The others, Miroku, Sango, and even Shippou, had all noticed how withdrawn her had become of late. And they all knew what it was that occupied his mind.

*We never said our love was evergreen*

Love...he loved Kagome...and it had taken giving her up for him to realize it. How foolish he had been, hiding what he felt from her for so long. If only he had known...

*Or as unchanging as the sea*

They both very well knew that once Kagome left, she would never come back. Inuyasha expected her to go on normally with her life, maybe even love someone else. He didn't like the thought of it, but he figured that that was probably what was going to happen. It was normal, the heart's way of healing itself, and if it made Kagome happy...well then, who was he to deny her that. But his love for her would always remain, would never change or fade. That he knew.

*But if you can still remember, stop and think of me*

Kagome...

*Think of all the things we've shared and seen*

His reminiscing continued. Some of his favorite memories were of the two of them and their friends, just wandering. Free and happy. They had seen and done so much and been through so much. Always together, they had endured much, yet never the worse for it. The experiences had only made them stronger, given them an edge...and brought them closer. Those times were something to cherish, the best days of his life as he thought. His eyes clouded over for a moment.

*Don't think about the things which might have been*

He was glad in some ways that she had gone back. She was safer at home. If she had stayed...there might have come a time when (for some odd reason) he might not have been at her side to protect her. And she would've died! Inuyasha knew he would've felt like it was all his fault. She would be gone and only crushing guilt and sorrow would remain in her stead. He knew that would be too much for him to bear. Still...he would have liked to continue their adventures in search of the jewel. He always fought better if Kagome was there, cheering him on, lending him strength. His eyes cleared and he shook his head, sending rivulets of silver hair everywhere. "Stop daydreaming, it will never be," he told himself firmly.

*Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned*

Yet, he imagined her at home, safe. Waking up and greeting the new day, going to school, perhaps even thinking of him. He sighed, blowing silken strands out of his face. Kagome had probably forgotten about him by now. But no matter how many times he told himself this, a small voice in the back of his mind always protested. The voice drove him insane; it mocked him, ridiculed him, making his head ring until he thought he could bear it no longer.

*Imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind*

Maybe Kagome was having the same problem he was. Maybe she thought of him too much and was trying to block out and forget. His ears perked up. Inuyasha hoped she thought of him constantly, then he wouldn't be alone in his madness. Then he wouldn't be the only one tortured by their decision. He smiled at this prospect, a small bit of weight lifting from his shoulders. It had settled there the day Kagome had left, and had pressed down upon him, relentless and unforgiving...until now.

*Recall those days, look back on all those times*

His tortured mind screamed for release, for freedom from the barrage of memories.

*Think of the things we'll never do*

He wanted her, wanted her desperately to come back. There was so much they had yet to do. So much to discover about each other. So much life left to live.

*There will never be a day when I don't think of you!*

Eventually he calmed his raging mind, but only by finally accepting the fact that since Kagome loved him, she wouldn't forget him. His still grieving mind finally realized that love is powerful and promising. That it never grows old or forgets. His heart grew light with the dawning of this realization and he jumped up, crowing his delight to the sapphire sky. She loved him. She was his, forever. He ran across the meadow to where his friends dozed by a small stream. And as he ran he was filled with a pure, simple joy. Inuyasha felt as if he could fly. He shouted to the others, waking them up. When they saw the delight mirrored in his golden eyes, they knew he had finally discovered what they had known all along.

And far away, hundreds of years in the future, a brown-eyed girl sat by a well and thought of him too.

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and all other characters and related crap were not created by me and I do not own them. The song "Think of Me" is also not mine. It was written by Andrew Webber for the Phantom of the Opera.


End file.
